Anyone have any experience maximizing the amount of hours that running unit operators can work (dual-unit site with other unit refueling) under the new fatigue rules? Most basically, I see that 10CFR26 would be limiting by the need for 2.5 days off per week averaged over a cycle, which would necessitate a 4 on, 3 off, 5 on, 2 off, 4 on, 3 off, repeat.
4/1 takes care of the 3 off in 15 outage rule. I mean it really comes down to how many positions you have to fill (min-staffing), how many operators you assign to the outage teams, clearance office, etc.
Eventually a 4/1 schedule means you eventually will have 2 days off in a calendar week. Sometimes you can work 4 shifts in a row one week and then a 5, but eventually you will be forced by the 3 in 15 rule to have days off.
Its easier if everyone goes on outage rules, IMO its implausible to mix online and offline, because what if an outage NLO pulls a duty shift on the online reactor? Does he or she fall under online or outage rules? If a duty NLO does outage work..etc..etc.
Of course I am assuming the plants share resources between the OPS department not two completely separate unitized entities.
Actually you are allowed to mix them.
At my facility online does 4 on 3 off. The online guys can work something like 2 or 3 OT days in a 30 day outage.
The outage unit is 4 and 1.
What surprises me is how a Shift Manager at a Multi Unit Site can be considered on Outage unit hours when by law an SM isn't required to be at an outage unit!
I think my head would explode trying to keep track of a mixed rules group of operators. However, a 4/3 during an outage? That sounds nice.
In my opinion multi unit sites should be treated as the entire site being in an outage. There's too much potential to cross contaminate. Example, a Unit 1 NLO during an outage is in the Aux Building. A tank needs to be recirced to support the outage. The Radwaste NLO asks the Unit 1 NLO to peer check him. Outage work or not?
$110,000 fine if the VP guesses wrong, and millions saved if it isn't noticed.
We know how it will be interpreted >:(